Retreating from its original investigations of artist Steve Kurtz for “bioterrorism”, the US Attorney has charged the artist with mail fraud. “The charges do not relate to bioterrorism,” U.S. Attorney Michael Battle said. “Very simply, this is a case about fraud.”
Tag: 06.29.04
US Retreats From Kurtz BioTerror Charges
Artist Steve Kurtz, who has been investigated by the FBI for bioterrorism was finally charged Thursday by a federal grand jury in Buffalo, New York– but “not with bioterrorism, as listed on the Joint Terrorism Task Force’s original search warrant and subpoenas, but with petty larceny. Also indicted was Robert Ferrell, head of the Department of Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health. The charges concern technicalities of how Ferrell helped Kurtz to obtain $256 worth of harmless bacteria for one of Kurtz’s art projects. The laws under which the indictments were obtained covering mail and wire fraud–are normally used against those defrauding others of money or property, as in telemarketing schemes.”
Pakistan’s First E-Museum
Museum attendance in Pakistan is very low. So the owner of a museum in Lahore wants to create an e-museum to display artwork. ” ‘I would like to make our collections accessible to as many people as possible and the e-museum seems like a great way to do this.’ The family also hopes subscriptions to the e-museum will provide much-needed revenue.”
Mozart Opera Provokes Outrage In Berlin
The premiere of a production of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio (Entfuehrung aus dem Serail) at the Komische Oper in Berlin has been greeted with outrage from audiences and critics. The production’s director says that “moving the Berlin opera’s action to a modern-day brothel would highlight abuses in the sex trade.”
Police Hunt Dali Fakes
An exhibition marking 100 years since Salvador Dali’s birth has been closed by police in Helsinki, who seized works amid suspicions they were forged
PNB Job Attracts Mob
Fifty applicants have applied to succeed Kent Stowell and Francia Russell as director of Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Ott Resignation Surprises Theatre World
The sudden resignation of Sharon Ott from Seattle Repertory Theatre has shocked many in the theatre community. “Any time something like this happens, everybody in the field quivers,” adds Berkeley Rep managing director Susan Medak, who worked with Ott for seven years. Drawing parallels to Pamela Rosenberg’s resignation at the San Francisco Opera, Medak cites the increased difficulties in “running an arts institution now. There’s not the general level of support that makes the job easy. The anxiety level has shot up, because you can’t afford to make mistakes. “
Miami PAC Manager Abruptly Quits
Gail Thompson, who was demoted last week from project manager of the troubled Mimai-Dade Performing Arts Center project, suddenly quit her new job Monday. “Building of the center, touted as Miami’s cultural centerpiece, is 20 months behind schedule and $67 million over budget. Thompson, hired in 1999 after successfully overseeing the construction of Newark, New Jersey’s Performing Arts Center, was pushed aside last week by Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess in an attempt to get the project back on track.”
Canadians Go To Movies In Record Numbers
“Canadians flocked to the movies in record numbers last year, with the lure of big-money blockbusters outweighing the impact of higher admission prices and a decline in the number of screens in this country. According to the government agency, attendance at theatres and drive-ins rose to 125.7 million in 2002-03, the highest level on record.”
Toronto To Get Giant Film Studio
A huge “media film village” is to be built in Toronto. The state-of-the-art facility will include 14 soundstages and cost more than $100-million. “It’s been a truism in Toronto film circles for the last decade that while the city has sufficiently talented crews to host ‘runaway productions,’ it’s been bypassed by Titanic-sized Hollywood films — movies with budgets in excess of $150-million involving support staff of as many as 2,000 persons — because it has lacked an appropriately huge, purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility.”